# Which Birth Control Pill do you Recommend?



## CharmedImSure (Jun 15, 2011)

I was on Yasmin for a few years, with no side effects whatsoever, but for some reason I switched over to Necon which is a higher dose pill...it is fine, however, I have been getting severe eczema on my right hand to the point where I can't do anything (I've read birth control pill can deplete vital nutrients from your body, namely the B Vitamin which causes skin problems, hair problems, lack of energy etc, so in case you were having problems it might be from the pill!), so I've been taking multi vitamins and B complex like no other...it relieves it temporarily but doesn't completely cure it......anyways, I want to switch back to a "normal" dose.  I've heard about all those complaints and lawsuit filed against Yaz and Yasmin so I can't go back to that pill.  I feel like my Doc will just give me a random brand, so I wanted advice from other people....

Does anyone have a positive experience with their brand of BCP?


----------



## [email protected] (Jun 25, 2011)

Hi,

I am on Yaz and LOVE it. No mood swings, no headaches (at the contrary it got rid of my migraines), no weight gain, etc... ALL medication has its side effects some more severe than others. Have you ever paid close attention to TV commercials? Have you noticed the long list (not to mention scary) of side effects that some of those drugs have?  If you have a look at different forums on Yaz and Yasmin you will read all sorts of comments from very positive (like mine) to the very negative ones. If you never experienced side effects and were happy with Yasmine, why not stick with it?

You have to understand that America is the #1 country for many things including law suites. Bayer's problem was very simple and somewhat stupid, Bayer did not adequately warn consumers about the very serious side effects and risks. Would they have done the same thing that all of the anti depressant TV commercials do, they probably would have avoided such law suite.

Hope this bit helps =)


----------



## Annelle (Jun 27, 2011)

I'm not familiar with the lawsuit against Yaz, but from what arcy says, it sounds like they just neglected to list all the side effects?

There are a LOT of drugs out on the market that have some horrendous side effects to some people that are safe for others.  (I think there's either an anti-depressant or an anti-smoker pill that has a side effect of death even.)

The thing about Birth Control, is everybody is affected differently by different hormone levels.  Something that works perfectly for 10 people standing next to you might be bad for you.  (Ortho-tri-cyclin, for example, is a wonderful birth control for many women, but for me, it caused me to become emotional to the point of becoming suicidal every Wednesday of week 2 of pills for the three months that I tested it out.  Not a side effect I want to deal with every month &gt;.&gt

The only real way to find out what works best for you, honestly, is to just try out different brands of different doses, and see how it works for you.  It does take around 3 months for you to get used to a new pill (the first month will be totally screwy since it's a shock to your system to have a different level of hormone, so you might see a bunch of side effects that will go away after the first month or two, but then month 2 usually starts getting more "normal" and month 3 kind of confirms how your body will take it.)

The only thing I'd suggest is, if you naturally get mood swings with your PMS, to avoid the cycling pills (the pills that have different doses and colors from week to week).  My gyno told me that if you get moody, sometimes those pills aggravate it, since you are literally shocking your system each week when you switch doses, and a "normal" body is used to slowly changing its levels, not suddenly changing it overnight.  So I stick with ones that are a single kind of pill/dose/color for the entire month long now.

Side effects I've personally experienced and look for when trying out new birth controls:

Weight gain (or loss -- although loss is a lesser seen side effect)

Breast gain (I've gained between 0-2 cup sizes depending on BCP before...being a DD cup at my body size is UNpleasant!)

Acne (both clearing up and gaining cystic acne.  I don't mind if it clears up my skin, in fact I love it! But I had one that gave me cystic acne all over my face and body -- arms, legs, back, chest...it was gross and painful!)

Mood Swings

Libido

Gas (don't know maybe this is a personal gastro-intestinal problem for me, but I've noticed differences in different pills I've had)

Period Length/strength

Cramp Reductions

Honestly, if it worked out well for you, I'd suggest asking your doctor about your concerns about it specifically, and then tell them that you've tried it before with no side effects, and then you can decide whether you feel safe going back to it, or trying something else.

Finding a perfect birth control really is a matter of shooting in the dark and hoping it'll work, since nobody can really predict how anybody will react on the various levels of hormones.


----------



## CharmedImSure (Jun 27, 2011)

Annelle could you list the specific brands youve been on? And what happened with each one? And which one caused that 2 cup size increase lool...one good thing about the pill it has helped me retain some body fat...I am extremely skinny with high metabolism.. So I've been off BCP for 2 weeks and my eczema has vanished. I'm def never going on high dose again.


----------



## CharmedImSure (Jun 27, 2011)

> Hi,
> 
> I am on Yaz and LOVE it. No mood swings, no headaches (at the contrary it got rid of my migraines), no weight gain, etc... ALL medication has its side effects some more severe than others. Have you ever paid close attention to TV commercials? Have you noticed the long list (not to mention scary) of side effects that some of those drugs have?  If you have a look at different forums on Yaz and Yasmin you will read all sorts of comments from very positive (like mine) to the very negative ones. If you never experienced side effects and were happy with Yasmine, why not stick with it?
> 
> ...


 I might consider it, just wanted to check out other options..


----------



## Annelle (Jun 27, 2011)

> Originally Posted by *charmander* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> Annelle could you list the specific brands youve been on? And what happened with each one?
> 
> And which one caused that 2 cup size increase lool...one good thing about the pill it has helped me retain some body fat...I am extremely skinny with high metabolism..
> ...


It might not be the fact that you had a high dose that caused it, it might be the specific levels of the specific hormones that were in your pill that caused it.

Side effects that happened to me probably won't affect you the same either since it's a different body (My sister and I have different reactions on the same pills, even, so we use different ones)

I've tried Allesse, Nuvaring, Mirena, Ovcon 35, Seasonale, Seasonique, Levora, Ortho-tri-cyclin...I'm probably missing some, and I know those aren't in the right order.  It might have been Ovcon 35 that caused 2 cup sizes, although probably half of the pills I've been on have increased me by half a cup to a full cup size.  (Also, I think that the reason I stopped using that one was because they either stopped producing it, or my pharmacy stopped carrying it, because I remembered liking that one.) The 2 cup size one increased me from a C to a D, then during PMS I'd be a DD.  I fit a 30-32 Band Size, so it's really not that pleasant trying to find something that will work.  I think I'm normally a middle C, and I'm okay with being a full C, but when I start to pop out of my C bras, I don't really have all to many 32D's to wear instead since most companies don't even make them.

Some doctors are a bit smarter too, with knowing better about more common side effects of specific pills.  Like Mirena does specifically target heavy bleeding. Yaz does specifically target Acne.  Specific hormones might also affect you specifically...i don't remember if it was progestine or estrogen that my doc told me I should try to stick with higher and lower doses of for me personally.  (I've been on Nuvaring for a few years and liked it but switched to Mirena this year, so it's been a few years since I've been on a pill form, so I don't remember so much anymore &gt;.&lt


----------



## [email protected] (Jun 27, 2011)

> Originally Posted by *Annelle* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> 
> I've tried Allesse, Nuvaring, Mirena, Ovcon 35, Seasonale, Seasonique, Levora, Ortho-tri-cyclin...I'm probably missing some, and I know those aren't in the right order.  It might have been Ovcon 35 that caused 2 cup sizes, although probably half of the pills I've been on have increased me by half a cup to a full cup size.


Wow!!! You have really tried your fair share... you are brave.

I was on Ortho Novum for about 10 years until I moved to Australia and my doc changed it to something else (sorry but can't remember). Ortho Novum was discontinued in that country and so I was forced to change. Luckily I noticed not difference, my body accepted the new pill and adapted smoothly.

When I moved to France two years ago, I had a rare problem and my GP decided to take me off my pill and switched me to a Progesterone only pill (POP). Boy was that THE WORST move EVER! It was horrible. I gained 4 kilos (about 8.8lbs) in a single month, I was crying all the time. The mood swings were off the chart. Libido was unixistant. I can go on and on. Needless to say I went back to my GP and demanded to be put on a normal pill. I had to do the research on pills and after reading about the positives on Yaz, I decided to try it. (Side note, in France and the UK for that matter you have to see your GP first and they refer you to a Gyno if need. My particular Dr. was mmm how can I say this nicely... very unknowledable when it came to this matter and had to switch Dr's for obvious reasons). Since I have been on Yaz for over a year now, I have been a happy camper. I started to loose the weight almost immediately.

Living now in the UK, they don't carry Yaz, only Jazmin and I have to get my prescription from France for six months every time I go =/ But I have to say it is worth it.


----------



## Annelle (Jun 27, 2011)

Unfortunately, I normally get bad mood swings in general, so a lot of these pills will accentuate it for me, and/or cause me to break out.  Bad mood swings and bad acne = nono, so I've switched around a few times.  A few times, I also lost health insurance for 6-12 months and when I got back, I'd start on something different that was covered under the insurance.  Usually it took a few tries to be able to find one that I liked okay.

I've started breaking out more with the one I'm on now, but it takes longer to test out (Mirena is a hormone IUD), and as long as I'm OCD about keeping on top of all my acne, they haven't been horrible so far (I'm breaking out on my back again, but if I keep a benzoyle peroxide treatment on it a few times a week, it seems to do better.)  Nuvaring cleared up my skin beautifully when I was on it.


----------



## [email protected] (Jun 28, 2011)

Oh wow Annelle, sorry to hear you have such a problem with BC =(  From what I have read, Yaz and Jasmin help against that sort of problem. Do a bit of research and maybe that can be an option.


----------



## CharmedImSure (Aug 13, 2011)

Girls, I cannot take it anymore, I'm going back on birth control pill, I have an appointment with my doctor this Monday...I've been off the high-dose pill for around 2 months,- cystic acne has returned, I'm getting periods more often, the blood flow is about 2x that while I was on the BCP, I've lost a considerable amount of weight (my skeleton is visible), 1 inch off the bust size, hair is oilier.....on the plus side my eczema is clearing up 






I need to find a good 30-35 (regular dose) birth control pill...I was considering Ortho Tri Cyclen, but the way it works, with these changing levels of whatever, is different from the past two birth control pills I've been on..


----------



## Annelle (Aug 13, 2011)

just make sure that you take a look at your personality.  That's one of the main issues I had with the cycling pills is personality changes after the weeks change.  (Sometimes it helps to make a few people aware that you might get moody...so they can give an outside opinion as to whether you're acting more irrational than lately, cause you might feel "normal" yourself, since "angry" is a mood that can come and go on its own anyway.)

Some people don't get any mood swings at all from it, but it's one of the things to look for and be aware of, cause sometimes it's hard to realize without taking a step back and reassessing the situation.


----------



## CharmedImSure (Aug 14, 2011)

> Originally Posted by *Annelle* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> just make sure that you take a look at your personality.  That's one of the main issues I had with the cycling pills is personality changes after the weeks change.  (Sometimes it helps to make a few people aware that you might get moody...so they can give an outside opinion as to whether you're acting more irrational than lately, cause you might feel "normal" yourself, since "angry" is a mood that can come and go on its own anyway.)
> 
> Some people don't get any mood swings at all from it, but it's one of the things to look for and be aware of, cause sometimes it's hard to realize without taking a step back and reassessing the situation.


 I'm thinking maybe I should just stick with the normal non-changing birth control pills...lol.Something in the 30-35 mcg estrogen range...I already have a pretty messed up head/personality, I have a lot of anxiety and OCD issues, and I thought Ortho Tri cyclen was just a normal one...So perhaps I will change from Ortho Novum 1/50 to Ortho Novum 1/35.. I didn't know the brand I was on before had lower dose pills 





By the way, are you still on birth control pill or off it completely?


----------



## dgint608 (Aug 14, 2011)

I used to have the worst time with my period! Horrible cramps terrible mood swings and anything else negative you can think of! I got the implant (implanon) good for 3 years and I get no more periods! I absolutely love it! It's a match stick sized implant that goes right in your arm  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


----------



## Annelle (Aug 14, 2011)

I've been on Mirena since January.  Not the best pill I'm on, but it was the best choice for me in the near long run, since my health insurance has been iffy for the last year or two.

I have mild to medium acne which is worse than the virtually clear skin I've had for last 5+ years, bacne that I have to deal with constantly, my mood swings are worse, but my period is down to a nuissance (I will spot for 2-5 days every once in a while...it's not even once a month, but completely taken care of by a pantiliner), so the cramps are completely gone as well.  Plus, I don't need to remember taking it...for the next 5 years. which is absolutely marvelous, so I'm sticking with it for now  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


----------



## Maris Crane (Sep 16, 2011)

I'm on Alesse. I'm not sure if it's just a Canadian pill line, though, but I'm sure the FDA has their own version. Low-es &amp; pro, 28 pack with 7 placebos. So far, I've had absolutely no problems - I did have a bit of extra, breakthrough bleeding with my starter pack, but absolutely no problems since then. My best girlfriend started out on Alesse (I guess her GP is also affiliated with Alesse?) and gained like, 20 lbs. I was extremely worried about break-outs (which a lot of people complained about online when I did a search), I'm not really acne prone, but I haven't had any breakouts whatsoever when on it. No weight gain, no moodiness, no crabiness or decreased libido, either. I definately wanted sugar pills and absolutely refused to go on Seasonale (I'd like to still have my period, reminds me I'm not pregnant!). I was looking at Ortho and Ortho-Lo but it's been smooth sailing on Alesse.


----------



## Amber204 (Sep 20, 2011)

I have had immense trouble finding a pill that I can take without uncomfortable side effects as well so far I have been taking minestrin for the last three months and I have a larger cup size as well now but at least I don't have migrains, nausea and dizziness from the previous attempts with Alesse, it's generic counterpart, depo provera, and orth tricyclin to mention a few. :S I hate the pill and would rather not take it if I had the choice.


----------



## pandy1021 (Oct 20, 2011)

We never use birth pills. It was not actually that advised to me by my doctor since he had stated POSSIBLE side effects. He said to do it normally than risking a life.


----------



## CharmedImSure (Oct 21, 2011)

> Originally Posted by *Amber204* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> I have had immense trouble finding a pill that I can take without uncomfortable side effects as well so far I have been taking minestrin for the last three months and I have a larger cup size as well now but at least I don't have migrains, nausea and dizziness from the previous attempts with Alesse, it's generic counterpart, depo provera, and orth tricyclin to mention a few. :S I hate the pill and would rather not take it if I had the choice.




same here...I actually just started Ortho Trifectin 1/35 a few weeks ago after being on a 4 month break from the pill....I could not do it anymore...the acne and breakouts on my face, were covering every inch of my chin, and I just can't walk around with 10 humongous cysts on my face, especially since Im looking for a job....


----------

